How Lee Watson solved the screen time dilemma

When you talk to Lee Watson, two things come across more than anything else: she’s very tired, and very happy.

Just this morning, the former sports journalist and TV personality launched her latest project: a children’s book called Nothing Happens Outside.

Lee Watson with her new book, Nothing Happens Outside, created in collaboration with illustrator Heath McKenzie. The book will be available in supermarkets from January 2018, free with any three Golden Circle products. Image: Supplied

It’s about two kids forced out into the garden when their devices break – a message very close to the hearts of Watson and her husband, cricketer Shane Watson.

“I’ve certainly found an issue with screen time," she tells 9Honey.

“There’s 100 per cent a place for iPads and screens, at times and in moderation, but nothing beats the outdoors. That was the whole basis for the book.”

Watson has found keeping her own kids – Will, four, and Matilda, two – out and about makes life easier for everyone.

For more adventures (and misadventures) in parenting, listen to the latest episode of 9Honey's podcast series Honey Mums here:

“That’s my style of parenting,” she says.

“We’ll go to the park; we might go for a swim at the beach. It’s when we’re stuck at home on a rainy day and they’re watching a couple of shows that they start to argue.”

But parenting, she says, has taught her “not to sweat the small things”. Particularly parenting Matilda, by the sound of it.

“It’s been … it’s been a party,” Watson says. “She speaks her mind.

“We were walking to get our Santa photos the other day, all dressed up ready to go. And Will was so excited! But Matilda didn’t want anything to do with it; she was absolutely petrified. We couldn’t even get her to the front of the line.”

A more successful expedition in 2015

Watson laughs.

“Nothing’s ever perfect with kids.”

Her other golden rule?

“Not trying to do two things at the same time,” she says.

“Particularly with Matilda and Will’s ages. Until recently, I couldn’t leave them alone for one second.”

She learned the hard way to keep work and parenting as separate as possible. And with the children now at preschool half the week, she has time to get some work done.

“To be honest, it’s a lot of early starts and late finishes,” she says.

“Waking up at 5 or 6 and getting emails over and done with before the kids wake up, or putting them to bed and working then.”

Watson knows first-hand how tough it is for busy parents to spend time with kids outside – part of the reason she’s taking her children’s motor skills program, Let’s Activate, into schools in 2018.

She’s almost evangelical about the benefits of outdoor play: it doesn’t just give kids health and coordination, but confidence and joy – “and it keeps them out of trouble.”

Will and Matilda love tennis and soccer, but Watson says she and Shane haven’t yet given them cricket bats.

“Matilda will pick up Shane’s cricket bat and helmet and pretend to play cricket in the house, which is really sweet,” she tells 9Honey.

“Whatever they are happy to do, as long as they are fit and healthy.”

Watson says her children have given her a new appreciation of life, and especially life outdoors.

“The small things,” she says. “You know, if the sun’s shining, that’s a good day – it means we can go outside and everything's going to be great.